Where is Love?
by Fire.Blazing.In.Her.Eyes
Summary: Chastity has never been cared for. At least, not until she is taken in by Fagin and his pickpocket gang. There, she befriends The Artful Dodger, Charlie, and all of the others. Chastity must fight her way through false friendship and pain to find real love. Dodger/OC. Rated T for semi-descriptive gore later on.
1. Chapter 1- New Beginnings

_ The sky of London was cold and gray, and rain came down as if someone had overturned a full bucket of water. Tall stone and brick buildings lined the sides of the cobblestone streets, black smoke trailing up into the sky from the many chimneys. Down these dark alleyways, there are many taverns and inns crowded with singing and dancing people, oblivious to the angry weather outside. Down such one of these alleyways, a young girl was running for her life._

Her feet pounded the stone street, pebbles and bits of broken glass getting wedged inside the bare skin, but the girl took no notice. Her soaked pale blue dress streamed behind her as she ran, covered with splatters of mud and dirt. She glanced over her shoulder, her big blue eyes glazed with fear as her long dirty blonde hair whipped around her face. The loud shouts of men could be heard in the distance, and several police officers rounded the bend. At the sight of them, the girl's breath caught in her throat and she looked around frantically for a hiding spot. Her eyes rested on the rowdiest tavern, and without a second thought plunged herself into the crowd. She pushed her way through until she was near the back. As she had hoped, the policemen ran right by, as if the tavern didn't exist at all. She exhaled in relief and her face lit up with a smile as she reached into her pocket and drew out a magnificent leather wallet that had obviously belonged to someone rich. She opened the wallet carefully and began counting the money inside. In her pride, she did not notice the old man in the corner, watching her. His eyes lit up at the money, and he took a step forward.

"That's a nice one. Very clever of you to pull that off, very clever indeed," he said, voice tinged with glee. The girl stiffened at his voice and slowly turned around.

"Don't you _dare _think about peaching on me! I worked hard to get this!" she hissed. He chuckled at her hostility.

"Don't worry, m' dear, I wouldn't even think about it. I know how it is, you see, as I am in the business too," he winked at her and continued, "You have quite a talent. Did your, ah, ...parents teach you?"

"I ain't got any parents. My mother and father took one look at me and dumped me at the church. I stayed there until I was five, but eventually I had enough and ran away," she said nonchalantly, and the fact that she didn't have any parents did not trouble her, and if it did she was a very good actor.

"Ah, I see. Do you have any..lodgings?"

"Nope."

"Well, lucky for you, I happen to have a kind of..boarding house, for talented pickpockets such as yourself. I would be glad to take you in."

She considered this for a moment, her head slightly tilted.

"Will I get food?" she ventured.

"But of course! In exchange for some of your earnings you get two square meals a day and a place to sleep."

"Two square meals a day?! Ha, wild horses couldn't stop me!" she exclaimed.

The man clapped his hands together, "Good, good! Now, what is your name, and how old are you?"

"I'm 10 years old, and my name is Chastity, but you can call me Chassy if you like. Everyone does," she said, offering her hand, "And who are you?"

The man took her hand and shook it, "My, my, that is quite a pretty name, Chassy. I am Fagin."

Chastity smiled brightly,

"Well than, Fagin, lead the way!"

And off they went, side by side.

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**A/N: **First Chapter! W00t w00t! Hopefully you all liked it! 10 reviews for next chapter! - 3


	2. Chapter 2- Chastity is Introduced

**A/N: **Wow, thank you all for the reviews! You're all my new BFFs :p

**Monoke2012:** Thanks for all the help concerning the story!

* * *

**Disclaimer**(I probably should've put this in the 1st Chapter, huh?): Oliver Twist does not belong to me. It belongs to Charles Dickins. Hopefully you all knew that.

_Blue jeans, White shirt  
Walked into the room you know you made my eyes burn  
It was like James Dean, for sure  
You so fresh to death & sick as ca-cancer  
You were sorta punk rock, I grew up on hip hop  
But you fit me better than my favorite sweater, and I know  
That love is mean, and love hurts  
But I still remember that day we met in December, oh baby!_

I will love you till the end of time  
I would wait a million years  
Promise you'll remember that you're mine  
Baby can you see through the tears?  
Love you more  
Than those b*tches before  
Say you'll remember, oh baby, say you'll remember  
I will love you till the end of time 

Fagin rapped smartly on the old wooden door, and a voice called out in a sing-songy way,

"Who is it?"

Fagin turned to Chassy and rolled his eyes.

"Ace, you know who it is. Now open up, please."

Ace obeyed and opened the door, and his eyes widened at the sight of Chastity.

"Cor! Fagin, who's this?!" he cried. Fagin chuckled slightly.

"This is Chastity. She's going to be staying wit' us from now on, so best get used to 'er." Chastity gave Ace a wide grin, causing him to turn rather red,

"Jus' call me Chassy." Ace nodded vigorously and closed the door after her. Several boys lounged around the room, smoking, drinking, playing cards, and some just chatting. They all looked up, however, when the door opened, and many stared slack-jawed at Chastity. She gazed around at all of them, a smirk on her face. Fagin cleared his throat and put his hand on Chastity's shoulder.

"Now, everyone, this here is Chassy, and she's goin' to be wit' us fer a long while, so you all be nice to 'er." he said, and then strode off. Chastity walked over and plonked herself down in front of all of the boys. She laughed slightly at their expressions and said airily,

"You best introduce yerselfs, 'stead sittin' around gawkin' like dead fish." The boys gathered their composures and the one sitting next to her cleared his throat.

"Righ' then, my name's Charlie. And this is Ace, Rodger, Tom, Sam, George, Oliver, and last but definitely not least..The Artful Dodger." All of the boys either nodded or smiled in turn, and the last one, The Artful Dodger, she supposed, tipped his top hat and looked her over. She colored slightly at this, he was rather..well, cute.

"The Artful Dodger? Is that your real name?" she questioned, curious. He grimaced and shook his head,

"Nope. Me real name's Jack Dawkins, but jus' call me Dodger." Chassy nodded and looked down at the cards. Her face lit up with delight, and she exclaimed,

"Oh, poker! Mind if I play?" They all nodded enthusiastically, except for The Dodger, who merely snickered, and delt her some cards. She then proceeded to win every round, sparing the last for poor Dodger, who was starting to get very frustrated and considerably poorer. Fagin then put a large plate of sausages on a long table and they all forgot their poker game at once. Chassy hurried to the bench and was wedged in between Charlie and Dodger, with the small and slight blonde boy, _Oliver_, she thought, sitting in front of her. She grabbed two of the sausages greedily and wolfed them down, as if she hadn't eaten for weeks. Which, mind you, wasn't far from the truth. She looked up to see Oliver taking small and rather dainty bites of his sausage, looking around and chewing thoughtfully. She caught his eye and grinned,

"Hey, Oliver. Why weren't you playin' poker? I bet you'da had a fair chance." He smiled shyly and opened his mouth to say something, but Charlie butted in and proclaimed through a mouthful of sausage,

" 'E's too _delicate_ fer gamblin'." Oliver withered under this insult, looking down at his plate. Chassy punched Charlie in the shoulder ("Oi!") and smiled at Oliver warmly.

"Don' let 'em get to ya, Oliver. Ya don' have to if ya don' wan' to." He smiled back gratefully and continued eating. Dodger turned to Chassy,

"How'd you end up meetin' old Fagin?" he said nonchalantly, seemingly bored with the other conversations.

"Oh, that. Well...I'd jus' nipped some rich gent's wallet and the ol' buggar behind me started shoutin' and pointin', an' course the Traps came runnin' after me. I was sprintin' down the alley and I just ducked inside a tavern an' started countin' me winnins' an' Fagin saw me an' started commentin' on me talent and if I wanted somewhere to stay, an' well, here I am." By this time Charlie had begun to listen in as well, and as the story progressed, his eyebrows traveled up under his brown fringe. Dodger seemed bored. Charlie grinned at her and said, in a low voice;

"Run in wit' the Traps, huh? They probably wouldn't do nuffink much to you, though, yer too pretty." Chassy blushed, but continued earnestly,

"Oh, yes they would. My friend Mary got caught tons a times, and on the last one they were sick of 'er runnin about so...so they hung 'er," she said, uttering the last part in a hoarse whisper. "I saw it meself," she said softly, eyes downcast. Charlie shuddered,

"Makes me sick jus' thinkin' 'bout it. They ain't ever gonna catch us though, eh Dodger?" Dodger shook his head. Chassy looked up again and seemed relieved, most of the color returned to her face. Just at that moment Fagin called out from the small brick room,

"Bedtime, everyone! We got a long day o' work tomorrow!" A loud cry of indignation rose up, but they all obeyed. Fagin noticed Chassy still standing at the table, looking rather lost. He smiled and gestured to a straw mattress in the far corner,

"I've set up a bed for you over there, dear." Chassy nodded gratefully and walked over. She sat down on the small bed and rolled over, covering herself with a thin blanket. Worn out from the day's events, she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Chassy awoke to the sound of the door opening and closing. She opened her eyes, bewildered, it was still the middle of the night. A tall man walked in, and her eyes widened. She had seen him before, out on the streets. He walked over to Fagin, who ringed his hands and looked surprised, though Chassy had a feeling he had been expecting him. Fagin held out his hand,

"Ah, Bill! Nice to see ya, ol' chap!" he said. 'Bill' did not shake.

"Where's my money?" Bill growled, his voice deep. Fagin chuckled and wagged his finger,

"Always to the point, eh, Bill?" he rummaged through his pockets and pulled out several gold coins. Bill eyed the money,

"Tha' pile looks a tad small to me." he growled. Fagin sighed and pulled out a few more.

"Now tha's it! Tha's all I owe ya!" Bill growled and shoved the coins into his own pocket. He strode out the door, shutting it behind him. Chassy raised her head slightly and looked up. All the other boys were fast asleep. She snickered softly, if someone came in and tried to rob them they would probably sleep through it. She laid her head back down on the pillow and stared at the wooden ceiling until she drifted peacefully into a deep sleep.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Sunlight hit Chastity straight in the face, awaking her. Her eyes snapped open, and she propped herself up on her elbows. All the beds were empty, and no one could be seen in the large wooden room. She yawned and sat up, vision blurry. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and heaved herself up to a standing position. She heard voices coming from a room farther on, and the door opened. Out walked Fagin accompanied by a pretty lady with curly strawberry blonde hair and a rather revealing scarlet dress. The lady turned to Chastity and her eyes widened with surprise.

"Fagin! Who's this poor thin'?! You didn' steal her offa the street, didja?" she said, worry spiking her lovely voice. Fagin laughed,

"Nance, this is Chastity, or, uh, Chassy. Chassy, this is Nancy."

Chassy grinned from ear to ear, she could already tell that she and Nancy would get on well. She did a slight curtsy and said,

"Nice to meet ya, Nancy. Eh, Fagin, where are the boys at?" Fagin furrowed his brow slightly, as if he had forgotten where they were. His expression returned to normal as he exclaimed,

"They're..They're out gettin' breakfast! Yes, tha's it!" As if on cue, the door flung open and they all trooped in, joking and laughing with apples and other food clutched in their hands. All of this was dropped on the table. Hasty good-mornings were bidden to Nancy and Chassy, and the food on the table was attacked. Chassy ate her fill and sat back, waiting for the others to finish. Fagin soon clapped his hands;

"Well, off to work then, boys! Oh, Dodger, can you and Charlie show Chassy how it's done?" he said. Dodger groaned at his statement, but Charlie nodded and looked excited. Chassy grinned and stood up, following Dodger and Charlie out the door. They walked over to the market, she and Charlie talking animatedly and Dodger making fun of them. As they found themselves in the middle of the large morning crowd, Dodger stopped and looked pointedly at Chastity,

"Righ' then. Now i's yer turn to show us if Fagin was righ' 'bout 'chu." he scoffed, as if he didn't expect her to come up with much. Chastity nodded and pushed her through the crowd dutifully. Charlie and Dodger craned their necks to see her, but she was lost in the crowd. They waited for a few minutes looking every which way, but were startled out of their chance when she returned out of the crowd, her eyes shining and two wallets resting on her palm. Dodger's face fell, disappointed she hadn't shown up empty handed. Charlie nudged Dodger in the ribs and chortled,

"If she keeps tha' up she's gonna be a better pickpocket than yew, Dodge!" Dodger just scowled and elbowed Charlie hard in the stomach.

"You can 'andle yerself then, so we'll split up. Charlie, yer comin' wit' me. We'll meet back in fron' of The Three Cripples," he said angrily, dragging Charlie with him by the wrist. Chassy just smirked and went back into the closely packed crowd. As she wondered through the street, picking the pockets of who ever was the closet and stuffing it in her own pockets, her thoughts were somewhere else. She couldn't stop thinking about him, "The Artful Dodger". Every time he spoke to her, she could feel tingles running up her spine, no matter how annoyed he seemed. She could tell, however, that he didn't feel the same way. She sighed deeply as she walked. Joining Fagin's gang sure had gotten her into a right mess. Well, mentally. By this time her pockets were bulging and she decided to head over to The Three Cripples. Now that she thought about it, she had no idea where it was. She decided to just wander down the alley and see if she got lucky. Sure enough, the Three Cripples happened to be the tavern she had ducked into when she was being chased by the Traps. She lent against the edge of the building and proceeded to rummage through her goods. She had three silk hankercheifs of good quality and five wallets full of bills. Her heart leapt at this, and looking around to make sure no one was paying attention to her, casually stuffed a note into her own pocket. She spotted Nancy in the far corner and waved, catching her eye. Nancy said something quickly to the people she was talking to and strode over, her eyes sparkling.

"Ello, Chassy! What chu doin' out 'ere?" she said cheerfully.

"Oh, I'm jus' out on the job wit Dodger and Charlie," she replied. Nancy looked around the tavern, confused.

"If yer out wit' Dodge and Charlie..where are they?"

"We split up."

"Split up?! Ugh, those boys can be a righ' pain sometimes, leavin' yew on your own..Oh! Your dress is ripped."

Chassy looked down, feeling the long rip on the side of her tattered dress. She smiled slightly and said softly,

"Oh, that's been there for a while.. I 'aven't 'ad a new dress since I was real little."

" 'At's too bad. I know! Tomorrow mornin', I'll come and getcha, an' we can go get ya a new dress."

Chassy looked up at the older woman, her eyes glistening with delight.

"Nance, you can't be serious! Oh, I can't wait!" she squealed, sounding like a little girl, rather than one of her 12 years. At this precise moment Dodger and Charlie walked up the street. They bid their hellos to both of the girls before getting down to business.

"So, what didja get?" questioned Chassy. They both reached into their pockets and produced 3 hankerchiefs for each of them and five wallets for Dodger, four for Charlie. Nancy smiled and put her hand on Chassy's shoulder.

"Well, Dodge, looks like yew got some comp-ee-titon 'ere! Chassy here got the same haul as yew!" Chastity smiled rather smugly at Dodger and he sent her an icy glare, making her smile fade a bit.

"Well..we should prob'ly get back to Fagin now, the other boys'll be back soon." interrupted Charlie, breaking up the rather awkward situation. They bid Nancy farewell and headed back to the hideout wordlessly; Dodger fuming, Chastity hurt, and Charlie stuck in the middle.

**A/N: **Phew, what a long chapter! Yeah, I know, the song lyrics was weird, but I thought it sort of fit. Hope all of you are still liking it, and remember, 10 reviews for the next chapter!

-F.B.I.H.E


	3. Chapter 3- Chastity Receives a New Dress

**A/N: **Woah. 12 reviews _overnight_? You guys have really outdone yourself. Seriously, all this positive attention really means a lot to me.

**Disclaimer:** Oliver Twist **_does not_** belong to me. Chassy and Vicky, however, do.

_**- Chapter 3 -**_

_In Which Chastity receives a new dress_

_The Artful Dodger and Charley go out on a Job_

Chastity awoke before anyone else, her eyes bright and alert. She quickly jumped out of her makeshift 'bed' and hurriedly pulled her tattered sky-blue dress over her head. She skipped lightly over to the grime-covered window, settling herself down in front of it. 'Chassy' had been with Fagin's gang of pickpockets for only four days and had already settled in like she had been there her whole life. As she sat before the window gazing out onto the cobblestone streets below, one of the many boys stirred behind her. He propped himself up on his elbows, brown hair tangled. He yawned and rubbed his eyes, and noticed Chassy leaning up against the windowpane. He pulled himself up and grabbed his signature top hat from a hook beside his bed and placed it on his head, walking uncertainly towards Chastity.

"Wot chu' doin' up so early, eh?" he said sleepily. Chassy turned around and smiled cheerfully.

"Mornin', Dodge. I'm waitin' fer Nancy, she's gonna take me out to get a new dress!" she exclaimed, rather softly, as to not wake the others. Dodger snorted and shook his head,

"Ugh, dresses. I 'ate shoppin'." he sniffed, disgusted, but took a seat on a chair next to her. As they sat in silence, more and more of the boys awoke and Dodger soon left for a quick game of cards, leaving Chassy alone at the window. Her heart leapt as a figure in a familiar red dress walked up the alley and towards the rickety wooden stairs. Chassy jumped up and hollered,

"Fagin, she's 'ere!" Fagin turned and waved her on, a smile on his face.

"Well, go on then. 'Ave fun!" Chassy waved a hasty goodbye and sprinted down the stairs without a backwards glance. She pulled open the door before Nancy could open it, leaving her with her hand suspended in the air. Chassy's breath came in excited gasps, a 5,000-watt smile on her face.

"Mornin'Nancecanweleavenow?" she exclaimed, her words tripping over each other. Nancy laughed heartily and nodded,

"Glad to see yer so eager! Yeah, let's 'ead out." she said, gripping Chastity's small hand in her own, leading the girl towards the market while Chastity chatted non stop. They finally arrived at a small dress store on the corner and pushed their way through the doors. Chasssy instantly made her way over to the many racks of dresses, scrutinizing every one. They soon both had a pile of multi- colored dresses draped over their arms. They went into the changing rooms and tried dress after dress, the discard pile growing ever larger. As their hope was drawing slim, Chastity picked a navy blue dress from the pile and pulled it over her head roughly. Her eyes grew to the size of plates as she turned to face her reflection in the mirror. The dress shimmered and in the light and hugged every curve of her body like it had been made for her. She let out her breath in a breezy sigh and twirled around, looking over shoulder. Nancy clapped her hands together and stood up abruptly,

" 'Old on, I saw somethin tha' would go perfectly wit' that dress!" she cried, and hurried out of the dressing room to return only a moment later with a pair of brown leather boots, a black ribbon, and a hairbrush clutched tightly in her hand. She sat Chassy down and began to brush her matted blonde hair, wrenching out fistfuls of angry tangles, making Chassy wince and bit her lip so she wouldn't cry out. Her hair was brushed until it lay flat with a few waves, and Nacy tied it up with the black ribbon, leaving some bangs to frame the side of her face. Chassy tied up the boots and stood up to face the mirror again, and upon seeing her reflection let out a small squeal.

"Oh, Nancy...I've never felt so...so pretty," she breathed, her voice soft and dreamy. Nancy smiled and put her hands on Chastity's shoulder. She grinned and chuckled,

"The boys are gonna have a righ' fit when they see yew lookin' so nice." Chassy giggled as well, but Nancy's statement had snagged her attention. _What __**would**__ the boys say? More importantly, what would Dodger say?_ Her heart beat faster at the thought. She was pulled out of her deep thought as Nancy gasped,

"Oh, I nearly forgot! I got _another _surprise for ya!" She grabbed Chassy's hand and pulled her out of the store, practically throwing some coins at the shopkeeper in her haste. Chassy ran to catch up as Nancy dragged her by the wrist across the courtyard toward a nervous looking girl around Chassy's age with curly brown hair. Nancy stopped in front of this girl and finally let go of Chastity's wrist, who gripped it tightly and cursed under her breath at the garish red marks. Nancy let out a breath and regained her dazzling smile.

"Chassy, this is Victoria. Victoria, this is Chassy." Victoria smiled sweetly at Chassy and offered her hand,

"Just call me Vicky, it's a lot easier to say," she said, in a prim English accent; Chassy guessed she had been taught to speak that way. She gripped Victoria's hand and shook it firmly, returning her smile.

"Nice to meet, ya..Vicky." Nancy smiled in satisfaction.

"Why don' yew gerls 'ave a look aroun' the shops while I go an' run some errands?" Both girls nodded eagerly and headed off, chatting and talking. As they rummaged through the bins in a sweet shop (Chassy shoved a few candies into her dress pocket) Vicky lamented about her old home in Manchester.

"My parents were very rich back then, and I went to an all-girls academy, the Manchester Academy For Young Ladies," she said, as a dreamy look clouded her face, "I remember I had so many friends there, and we would all pass notes in class and somehow never get caught. But then my father lost his job at the bank, and slowly our money began to trickle down the drain. My father was eventually hunted down by the very bank he worked for, because he was borrowing so much money and couldn't pay it back. He uprooted us and we fled to London. I never had a chance to say goodbye to all my friends.." she sighed, her voice sad and bitter. "The police caught my Father and hung him, and my Mother and I bought ourselves an old shack in the alleys. Mother is in shock, she still doesn't believe my father is dead and we're as poor as dirt. She still wonders where all the money went." Vicky spat, as Chassy listened in wonder. Chassy let out a sigh and strode over to stand by Victoria.

"I'm sorry about losing your friends. I could be your friend...if you want." she ventured, her voice soft. Vicky turned to her, eyes a gleam, and grabbed her hand.

"I would quite like that," she whispered. She then let go of Chassy's hand, but the sparkle in her eyes remained.

"What about you? Do you have any parents?" she questioned.

"Me? Well, me parents dumped me a' the church when I was a baby, but I got bored with i' real quick and ran away when I was five. I met Fagin jus' four days ago and now I live wit' him and the res' of the boys an' -" Vicky interrupted, eyes narrowed;

"_Boys_? You live with a gang of _boys_?" she asked, incredulous. Chassy looked at her, puzzled.

"Yeah. Was' wrong wit' tha'?"

"Well..I never had any brothers, and..well, it would just be weird."

"Is' not tha' bad..Dodge can be kinda snotty sometimes, Charley's a righ' laugh, they're all alrigh', honestly," she explained. Vicky nodded, her thoughts elsewhere. Just then, Nancy entered and put her hands on the girls' shoulders.

"I'm all done 'ere, we migh' as well go back. Vicky, do ya wan' us to walk ya back 'ome?" she questioned, and Vicky shook her head,

"I can find my way, thank you for the offer though. Goodbye, Chassy, and goodbye, Nancy!" she said walking out of the store as Chassy and Nancy waved. They walked back to Saffron Hill together, discussing the things they had seen.

**A/N: **Another chapter down. Hope you all are still liking it; and 15 reviews for the next chapter! ;)

-F.B.I.H.E


	4. Chapter 4- Chastity Gets A Job

**A/N:** 17 reviews _overnight_?! You guys are really, really cool. Seriously. Well, anywho, sorry for the long wait. I just had to be suspenseful.

**Disclaimer:** Like Eddie Redmayne, Oliver Twist does not belong to me. I really, _really_ wish Eddie Redmayne did, though.

_**Chapter 4**_

_In which Chastity begins working at the Three Cripples-_

_You're so quiet  
But it doesn't faze me  
You're on time  
You move so fast, makes me feel lazy  
_

_Let's join forces  
We've got our guns and horses  
I know you've been burned  
But every fire is a lesson learned_

I left my house  
Left my clothes  
Door wide open  
Heaven knows  
You're so worth it, you are

But I wish I could feel it all for you  
I wish I could be it all for you  
If I could erase the pain  
Maybe you'd feel the same  
I'd do it all for you  
I would 

Chastity walked the alleyways of London, her brown leather boots making no sound on the cobblestone. She had walked this same path since she had been eleven, three years ago. Now she was fourteen, and everything had changed a great deal in those three years. Now everyone in the slums of London knew who she was, but not just because of her skill as a pickpocket. As she had grown older, her beauty had blossomed along with her. She had lost her ratty appearance and her figure had elongated, along with her facial features. Her matted hair had 'untangled' itself and curled gently, but remained pinned up in the same shiny black ribbon. Her and Victoria's friendship remained as strong and as unbreakable as ever, and they roamed the streets together, with Chassy sometimes teaching Vicky how to pick a pocket or two and Vicky teaching Chassy some of the things she had been taught at her old school. Chassy had just been to one of these lessons, and was going over it in her head as she climbed the rickety wooden staircase leading to the hideout. She knocked on the door and said in a slightly bored voice,

"Plummy and slam." At her voice, the door swung open and she strode in, bidding a hello to the lad at the door. She climbed up the stairs and pushed open the door, revealing several boys her age at the table playing a game of cards. At the sound of the door opening, one of the boys looked up and grinned at her.

"Chass, yer back! Come over an' play a round, Dodge's winnin' too much." At this the boy in the top hat snorted and laid another card down on the table.

"You're jus' bad at cards, Charley." Chassy walked over to the table and turned out her pockets onto the table, a few apples rolling across the wood. She sat and reached for a glass bottle of gin, peering at the contents. She frowned at the low amount of liquid left and swallowed the remaining amount in one gulp. At this moment a tall man with a wide-brimmed hat came up the stairs, hanging his coat on a peg. He sighed and pulled several wallets from his pocket.

"Ain't nobody on the streets today..got practically nothin'." he grumbled, sitting down at the table next to Chassy. She wrapped her arm around his shoulder and stuck out her bottom lip in a pout.

"Ooh, Fagin, I'm so sorry. We can't all be prodigies, can we?" Fagin swung his arm around, aiming for Chastity's stomach, but she quickly scooted down the bench, dodging the blow.

"Gettin' a little old, ain't we, Fagin?" she said breezily, studying her nails. Fagin narrowed his eyes at her. Dodger and the others chortled.

"Yew better watch 'oo yer callin' old, girl," he said menacingly, but a smile twinkled in his eyes.

Chassy grinned at him and stuck out her tongue mockingly. Fagin just shook his head and stood up, heading for the old fireplace to start preparing dinner. Chassy leaned back against the table and took a bite of an apple, staring at the ceiling and drifting in and out of conciousness. She was stirred out of her stupor when Nancy burst through the door and bid a cheerful hello to everyone. She waved hello, rather groggy, and missed the pointed look Nancy gave Fagin, who winked at her and cleared his throat.

"Alrigh', boys, I need ya to go out an' get some food fer dinner." All of the boys groaned, but got up and trooped out the door, talking all the way. Chassy cracked her back and sat up straighter as Nancy and Fagin sat across from her. She raised an eyebrow at their grim expressions.

"Alrigh', what's up? Yew both look 'alf dead." Fagin sighed deeply and leaned forward,

"Well, dear, me and Nance 'ave been talkin' an'..we've decided you've gotten a little, well..._old_ for picking pockets-"

"_Old_? Fagin, I'm fourteen!" Chassy interrupted, incredulous.

"Well, that's the thing," Fagin continued carefully, "Gerls don't normally pick pockets, not at your age. Your quite a pretty gerl, too, so Nancy and I went ahead and got you another job..at the Three Cripples," he finished. Chassy stared at him, gobsmacked, and slowly shook her head.

"Fagin, tha's not fair! I bring in jus' as much as the boys, sometimes even more!" Fagin merely shrugged and gave her a sad smile, as if she was eleven again. Chassy's hands curled into fists, her knuckles turning white.

"I see what yer doin'," she said, her voice shaking with rage, "I'm gonna work there a lot, ain't I?! An' I'm gonna be a good little _gerl_ an' make those nasty men _'appy_, ain't I?! I see wot yer doin', alrigh'! Yer makin' to turn me inta a pitiful, side-o'-the street, _**whore!**_" she spat, face red with anger. She could see the pain in Nancy's face, but she didn't care. Not now.

"Vicky's agreed to do it," whispered Nancy. Chassy looked at her, shocked.

"_Vicky's_ gonna be workin' there?!" she slumped back, defeated; "Looks like she's gone mad, too," she said, all the rage out of her voice. She sat there in silence for a few minutes, eyes fixed on some point in the distance.

"Alrigh'," she breathed, voice trembling again, "I'll do it. Migh' as well, seein' as you're all utterly crazy." Nancy and Fagin sighed in relief, and Fagin gave her a weak smile,

"I knew you'd see reason, Chassy." Chassy grimaced.

"Oh, I ain't seein' reason. Not yet," she said softly, "Fagin, I'm gonna 'ead off to bed now," she said, firmly. With that she stood up and strode over to a small room, shutting the door behind her and locking it with a _click_. Fagin and Nancy sat together in silence for a few minutes before Dodger and the other boys came through the door, their faces contorted with shock. They took a seat at the table and after a few minutes of eating silence, Dodger finally spoke up,

"That didn' go over well, did it?" he said. Nancy looked up from her meal,

"You were _listenin'_?" she asked, annoyed. Dodger looked at her, the hint of a smug smile on his face,

"Course we did. Didn't you 'ear us? Ace sneezed once." Nancy just shook her head. She stood up and made her way to the door.

"I think I best be leavin' now," she said softly, still shaken.

And slowly, one by one, everyone went to sleep.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Chastity awoke late in the afternoon to a sharp rap on the door.

"Chass? You up?" came Dodger's voice, from the other side of the door. She groaned and rolled over,

"Now I am," she grumbled into the floor. She heard a small chuckle and his voice came again,

"Well, Fagin says to get up, Nancy's waitin'." she heard his retreating footsteps.

"I don't want to be a whore," she whispered into the wooden floor. She sighed deeply, and despite her a bad feeling in her stomach, pushed herself up and walked over to the mirror on the wall, studying her reflection. She ran her fingers through the meanest looking knots and tied up her hair loosely with the black ribbon. She unlocked the door and walked through, ignoring all the stares from the boys. She guessed they had been listening on and her and Nancy's conversation, she probably would have done the same. She climbed down the stairs and met Nancy at the door. Nancy smiled, and Chassy weakly returned it.

"Let's jus' get this over wit'." she mumbled, and the two walked in silence to the Three Cripples. Waiting outside the door was Victoria, and her face lit up at the sight of the two girls. Chassy breathed a sigh of relief and rushed over to greet her friend, wrapping her arms around her neck.

"Vicky, I think we've gone crazy, agreein' to this," she said solemnly. Vicky just laughed and pulled away.

"I don't really mind. All the money I earn will buy food for Mother and I." Chassy just nodded and Nancy ushered the girls inside and towards a door, which swung open to reveal a dressing room. A lady with curly brown hair and a purple dress clapped her hands and smiled cheerily at their appearance.

"Ah, the new recruits! Why don't you have a seat on that chair, dear, and I'll get your lovely friend fitted." she said, gesturing for Chassy to sit down, and grabbing Victoria by the hand and leading her into a small room. Chassy waited for a fifteen minutes, nervously wringing her hands until Vicky returned clad in a shimmering purple dress with a dangerously low neckline. Her lips were covered with a peach lipstick and her cheeks were rouged. Chassy had to admit, she looked quite pretty, but for such a horrible cause. The woman smiled and waved Chassy up with her hands. Chassy let out a deep breath and stood up, following the woman.

"You're a pretty one, aren't you? We won't have to put much makeup on you! Now, what's your name, dearie?" she said cheerfully. Chassy opened her mouth but found she could not make a sound, and she swalowed the bile at the back of her throat and said softly,

"Chastity." The woman turned to grin at her, and stood her up on a stool in front of a mirror.

"Such a pretty name, for such a pretty girl! You can call me Lizzie. Now, dear, please take that lovely dress off." Chassy stared at her, taken aback.

"What?" she managed to croak out. Lizzie clucked her tongue and shook her head, as if she had heard the same statement many times before.

"Don't be embarassed, dearie. I just have to get you fitted for a corset and patch up your dress a bit." Chassy gulped, but she finally obeyed, the whole time her eyes did not leave the mirror as Lizzie measured her waist, and much to Chassy's horror, her bust.

"Your quite small around here, dear. We'll have to fit you into the Pusher." Chassy's heart jumped up her throat.

"The _Pusher_?" she asked, voice quavering. Her question was not answered, however, as a corset was tightly wrapped around her waist. She struggled to breathe as Lizzie pulled the strings tighter and tighter, until Chassy swore if the strings were pulled any more she would pop. Chassy's breath caught in her throat as she realized why this corset was called the Pusher. The corset had extra padding and forced her breasts up and out, making them appear bigger. She couldn't stop the tears of hate forming at the back of her eyes, but bit down hard on her lip to stop them from bubbling to the surface. She would not show her weakness. As Chassy stood there, two women that she had not noticed before appeared from the back of the room and began brushing her hair and applying minimal makeup, just a smear of gray over her eyes, making the blue pop even more. Lizzie had finished her 'alterations' and now slipped the dress over her head, which now had a considerably lower neckline and a few inches off the bottom.

"Take off those boots, dear, I've got some nice black shoes for you." Chassy obeyed and slipped on the black flats Lizzie had brought over. They were soft and silky, but she much preferred the molded leather of her old boots.

"Right then, dear, you're all done! Now, it's off to work for the both of you!" said Lizzie, steering Chassy off of the stool and back into the room where Vicky and Nancy were waiting. She spoke louder, adressing the both of them,

"You'll be working as bartenders for now, but we'll get you a higher paying job later. Now, go on out there and give em' a show!" she exclaimed cheerfully, ushering them out the door and into the bar. Vicky gripped Chassy's hand tightly, echoing her own horror. Chassy turned to her and managed a weak smile.

"Jus' be nice. At the end of the night we get paid." she whispered. Vicky's eyes widened and she nodded once, put on a big smile, and headed bravely over to a table. Chassy took a deep breathe and headed over to the table closest to her and put on her cheekiest smile.

"An' what can I get fer yew gents?" she said, and leaned on the table. The men smiled back and stared at her hungrily, making her skin crawl.

"A round of gin fer us, dear. An' make it quick," drawled one of the men. Chassy winked at them and headed over to the bar, filling up cups and bringing them back to tables. This pattern continued most of the night, sometimes the people at the table would chat with her. She was still angry, but she let her haughty demeanor drop and allowed herself to have fun. She danced with the other ladies and hummed along to the songs. She continued fetching drinks and noticed Fagin and the gang from the corner of her eye. She winced and tried to ignore them, she knew that if they met her eyes all hell would break loose. So she kept on fetching drinks and humming along nervously. As she distractedly served some men near the front, one of them must have noticed her humming, as he leaned forward and said shakily,

"I 'ear yew hummin', gerl. Why don't ya get up there an' perform a song fer us?" Chassy blinked a few times at their request, confused. Sing? She didn't recall singing before, not ever. Still, she decided, it just might get them to tip her. She grinned and nodded,

"Jus' fer you." She

thought for a little bit, and cleared her throat, singing in a loud, clear voice she didn't know she had posessed,

"_I've got my ticket for the long way round  
Two bottles of whiskey for the way  
And I sure would like some sweet company  
and I'm leaving tomorrow – Whaddya say?" _

The bar became silent, as all heads turned towards her.Her eyes met Vicky's and she smiled. Vicky instantly understood and continued with her,

"_When I'm gone, when I'm gone  
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone  
You're gonna miss me by my hair  
You're gonna miss me everywhere  
__Oh I know you're gonna miss when I'm gone  
I've got my ticket for the long way round  
No one but the prettiest of view  
It's got mountains it's got rivers  
It's got sex it'll give you shivvers  
__And it sure will be prettier with you._"

At this point all of the other girls working there caught on and joined in for the chorus,

"_When I'm gone, when I'm gone  
When I'm gone, when I'm gone  
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone  
You're gonna miss me by my hair  
You're gonna miss me everywhere  
You're gonna miss when I'm gone  
When I'm gone, when I'm gone  
When I'm gone, when I'm gone  
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone  
You're gonna miss me by my walk  
You're gonna miss me by my talk  
You're gonna miss when I'm gone _."

People started clapping drunkedly, but the clapping died down and people returned to their conversations. Chassy turned to the two men, smiling excitedly. The man returned her smile and handed her a pound note, and her eyes widened.

"There'll be more if you keep singin'," he said with a wink. Chassy smiled even brighter (if that was possible) and turned away, coming face-to-face with Lizzie, who grinned and grabbed Chassy's hands.

"That was wonderful, dear. We'll have to appoint you as singer, won't we? Well, you and your friend are of for the night. Remember to come back tomorrow, and I'll pay you then. Well, goodnight," she gushed, and headed off to another table. Chassy rushed over to Vicky, who squealed excitedly,

"Oh, Chass, that was _amazing_! I didn't know you could sing like that!" Chassy shrugged,

"I didn' neither. But...I think I wan' to go 'ome now, I'm pretty beat. I guess we'll be back again tomorrow.." she trailed off, her exhaustion apparent. Vicky simply nodded and hugged her quickly, then turned around and left. Chastity took a deep breath and made her way over to where Fagin and the gang sat. Most of the boys were wide-eyed, even Dodger seemed impressed; while Fagin just appeared pleased with himself.

"Well done, m'dear, well done! I didn' know yew 'ad tha' lovely voice in yew," he said, rather smugly. Chassy just glared at him,

"Well, I want to go 'ome. I can't stand this place no more." To her surprise, Dodger stood up,

"I'll take 'er, Fagin. Be righ' back," he said calmly, and walked out the door, Chassy close on his heels.

"Yew did do good, ya know. Yer a really good singer," he said, and Chassy could tell he meant it. She smiled,

"Thanks. I 'ate that place more than anyfink, though, makes me wanna 'url," she grumbled. Dodger just smirked and walked on,

"I guess a livin' is a livin', though, right?"

"Yeah, an' all o' my livins' is goin' to Fagin," Chassy grumbled. Dodger just laughed and continued on. They soon reached the hideout and walked inside. Chassy rooted throughout the 'pantry' and emerged, grimacing, with a large bottle of gin in hand. She sat down at the table and unscrewed the bottle, taking a large swig. She sighed deeply,

"Ahh, I needed tha'." Dodger smirked and sat down next to her, taking a drink as well. They sat that way a while, taking turns.

O0o0o0o0o0o

Chassy leant back against her chair, the empty bottle of gin clamped tightly in her hand. She smiled crookedly at Dodger, who was staring at her deeply, leaning on his hand.

"Wot 'chu starin' at me for?" Chassy slurred. Dodger looked confused, but said slowly,

"I was jus' noticin'...how pretty yew are in tha' dress." Chassy flushed even darker red, but she laughed it off,

"Yer lyin'. I know yew 'ate me."

"No I don'."

"Yes, yew do."

Dodger sighed deeply, annoyed.

"I don' 'ate yew. I jus' didn' wan' yew to know tha' I care 'bout yew," he drawled, but his eyes grew wide and he clamped his mouth shut when he realized what he had said. Chassy snickered,

"Tha' was supposed to be a secret, wasn' it?" Dodger didn't say anything, but continued to stare at her, eyes narrowed in thought. His gaze made her uncomfortable, and she shifted nervously in her chair. He began to move closer to her, until their noses were nearly touching.

"I think...I think I should kiss yew," he said slowly. Chassy took a shaky breath,

"Well, then, why don't ya?" she whispered. A hint of a smile played at his lips, but he leant forward slowly and pressed his lips to hers. She recoiled slightly at first, but he felt warm and soft, so she kissed him back and placed one hand on the back of his neck. He pulled back slowly, and looked into her eyes, a puzzled expression on his face. Frightened by his silence, Chassy questioned,

"Wha'?"

"Well..it felt...nice," he concluded, grinning cheekily. Chassy let out the breath she had been holding. She looked down at her feet, and then up again. She bit her lip and smiled,

"Wanna do it again?"

**A/N:** Ah, the matchmaking properties of alcohol! Anyways, you know the drill. 20 reviews for next chapter!


	5. Chapter 5- Chastity Assists Oliver Leave

**A/N: **Well, you did it. 20 reviews!

**MinnieXplayer:** Thanks for the feedback, I will try and take these into account and tone down the accent. And the "o0o0o0o" is just taking the place of a time skip.

**Anonymous:** You're right, Chassy was taken in by Fagin when she was 12. However, Chp. 4 takes place 3 years later, when she is now 14. I mention this at the beginning, but I guess you just missed it ^^.

***Disclaimer*:** Oliver Twist does not belong to me.

..Duh.

_**Chapter 5**_

_In which Chastity assists Oliver in his escape-_

**W**hen Chassy awoke, she was only aware of one thing: An excruciating throbbing pain in her head, as if someone was banging on it with a hammer. She groaned and drew her knees closer to her chest, snuggling deeper into the pillow. Well, at least, she _thought_ it was a pillow, but she knew she was wrong when the pillow moved underneath her. Her eyes snapped open, despite the screaming pain that accompanied it, and she slowly turned her head and looked towards the 'pillow'. She sucked in a breath, the warm 'pillow' was actually a chest. She looked up, and her heart fluttered. It was Dodger. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to recall what on earth convinced him that it was a good idea for them to sleep together. She vaguely remembered drinking a lot, kissing a lot, and then...well, a headache. She bit her lip and slowly shifted off of his chest, trying her best to be as quiet as she could. She carefully clambered off of the bed and walked unsteadily out of the room. The bright and cheerful sunlight hurt her head even more, and she swore under her breath and gripped it tightly. All the other boys were sound asleep in their beds, she wondered when they had gotten back. She took a few more steps forward, and felt nausea hit her like a wave. She grimaced and gripped her stomach instead, the pain in her head nearly forgotten,

"Ohhhh..." she groaned, turning around and running to the nearest window. She clamped a hand over her mouth as she forced it open, then leaned out the window and heaved, throwing up onto the ground below. She retched for what seemed like ages, until nothing was coming up. She stumbled back, woozy, as she continued to dry heave, her muscles shaking and convulsing.

"Serves you right, ya finished all the gin last night," said a sleepy voice from behind her. She turned, and Charley was sitting at the wooden table. She glared at him but coughed loudly, as her muscles slowly stopped shaking. She walked over and plonked down beside him, her throbbing head in her hands.

"This is definitely the worst 'angover I've _ever_ 'ad.." she mumbled, her eyes screwed shut, as if that would help block out the pain. Charley laughed,

"I bet I've 'ad worse..one time I couldn't get up for two days the 'eadache was so bad. I don't think anyone gets as drunk as I do."

Chassy laughed weakly,

"You're probably right. I remember one time-" she started, but was interrupted by Fagin coming out of his room and yelling loudly,

"Up and at 'em, boys! We got a long day o' work ahead of us!" This was met by loud groans of protest, but they all eventually dragged themselves out of bed and got ready to leave. Dodger emerged from the room, his hair disheveled and his hat tipping precariously on one side. He, too, was gripping his head and moaning. Chassy colored instantly, half hoping he wouldn't remember last night. She pretended not to notice him and fixed her gaze on the table. He stumbled over to the table and sat down next to Chastity, whose breath caught in her throat.

"You too, eh?" he mumbled, voice strained. Chassy knew at once that he did, indeed, remember. She simply nodded slowly and prayed he didn't notice her tomato red cheeks. Fagin noticed them at last and put his hands on their shoulders, chuckling loudly. Chassy and Dodger both winced, the sound reverberating in their heads.

"I guess you too ain't goin' out, are ya? Well, you can watch Oliver, I need to run a few..errands as well," he said. Dodger groaned, but Chassy's heart leapt slightly. She thought of Oliver as a little brother, he was so kind and naive. She felt bad, he didn't deserve this kind of life. Fagin let go of their shoulders and walked out the door behind the other boys. Charley bid the two a hasty goodbye and hurried after him, shutting the door behind him. Dodger and Chassy sat in an awkward silence for a while, uncertain who should speak first.

"So...you remember, too..what 'appened last night," he ventured, his voice soft. Chassy looked at him, his eyes were bloodshot. She nodded slowly, willing herself not to blush. He let out a breath, and the two sat in silence again. Luckily, Oliver walked through the door, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. His eyes widened in curiosity at the sight of them, he was usually alone with Fagin while Chassy and the boys went out.

"Why are you two still here? Shouldn't you be out with the others?" he inquired in his meek voice.

"Hangover," said Dodger gruffly. Oliver simply nodded and sat down next to Chassy. Dodger abruptly stood up and walked hurriedly to the room that served as the bathroom, and soon retching noises were heard. Chassy and Oliver grimaced, but even when they were over he did not return.

"It's quite depressing, being stuck inside every day. Fagin says I can't leave until I've learnt how to steal, but I don't _want_ to steal," said Oliver quietly, and desperately, as if he had been keeping his opinion bottled up inside for a very long time. Chassy turned to him,

"That's not fair. You shouldn't be forced to if..you don't want to," she said, her voice sympathetic.

"Before you came, Chass, I was out picking pockets with Charley and Dodger and I got framed for what they did. The man they stole from, Mr. Brownlow, knew I wasn't guilty and he took me back to his house. I lived there for a while, and it was wonderful there, but Fagin and Mr. Bill Sykes were afraid I might tell him where they lived so they stole me back. I've always..wanted to go back. I've been thinking that I'll run away..back to him," he confessed. Chassy stared at him, wide-eyed, for a little while.

"You should, Oliver. You're not cut out for this kind of life, like me and the boys are," she paused, taking a breath, "I'll 'elp you. I think I can convince Nance to as well."

Oliver's eyes lit up,

"You will? Oh, thank you! When will you talk to Nancy?"

"Later today, I think. At work."

"I can't wait! I've got a plan-"

He was interrupted by Dodger returning from the bathroom, looking woozy. Oliver instantly shut his mouth and looked down. Chassy smirked and giggled slightly at Dodger's expression. He glared at her and sat down, reaching for a deck of cards and absentmindedly shuffling them. Chassy smiled and stood up, walking over to the one cracked mirror and combing her matted hair. She trudged back into the room she had awoken in, falling onto the scratchy sheets, still warm from that morning. She smiled slightly and fell into a dreamless sleep.

O0o0o0o0o0o

Chassy awoke much later, her headache long gone. She stood up and stretched, looking out the grimy window. It was nighttime, and she abruptly remembered her new 'job' and her promise to Oliver. She quickly re-combed her hair, washed her face, put on her new black shoes, and wrapped her shawl tightly around her shoulders. She pushed her way through the door, the boys were playing cards at the table. She walked past them without saying good bye, her head swimming with ideas of how to reunite Oliver and Mr. Brownlow. As she walked to the Three Cripples, her thoughts clouded. She strode purposefully through the bar and soon found Nancy fetching drinks.

"Nance! Come with me, I gotta talk to you," she whispered, dragging Nancy by the wrist into a far corner of the bar, and sat down.

"Chass, what's up with you?!" Nancy cried. Chassy shushed her and looked around, amking sure Fagin or Bill weren't around.

"I was talkin' to Oliver early today and..well, I told him I'd help him try and get away back to Mr. Brownlow. He doesn't belong 'ere, Nance, he 'ates it. And I told 'im...I told 'im you would help." she whispered, cautious. Nancy just sat there, staring at Chassy, a look of disbelief on her face.

"You're right..he deserves a better life. I tried to convince Bill to leave him with Mr. Brownlow, but he wouldn't listen to me. I think..yes, I'll help you two."

"I knew you would, Nance, I knew you would!" Chassy exclaimed, her eyes bright.

"I'll talk to Mr. Brownlow, tell 'im to meet us on London Bridge with Oliver. I know he'll want him back, so there's no problem getting' him to meet us there. Trouble is, 'ow can I get past Bill?" said Nancy, in a low voice.

"Go after work, and just tell him you 'ad to work late."

"Alright, but I don't think he'll buy it.." she trailed off as Lizzy noticed them and walked over.

"Chastity! I've been looking for you, we need you to get up there and sing!" she cried, dragging Chassy away, who shot an apologetic glance to Nancy. Chassy stood on the platform almost all night, singing for the people in the barn. Every now and then she caught a glimpse of Vicky or Nancy, serving drinks and laughing. After what seemed like a month, Chassy's shift was over, and she hurried back to Saffron Hill, making sure she would be ready to help Oliver escape the next morning. She retired to bed before anyone else but was unable to sleep, her heart was racing. Finally, in the early hours, she fell asleep, and Fagin knew better than disturb her. She awoke much later, perhaps four o'clock, and she jumped out of bed. Nancy would've talked to Mr. Brownlow by now, they would both be waiting for her at London Bridge. She rushed out the door of the bedroom and went to Oliver, bending down,

"Go get your stuff. We're goin' today," she whispered into his ear. He nodded and jumped up, shoving his things into a sack and returning back to Chassy. She smiled and draped her shawl over her head, to sheild her hair from the rain and to protect her identity. She also shoved a cap low onto Oliver's head, shielding his face. She grabbed his wrist and led him out the door and into the rain, walking fast, but not fast enough to draw suspicion. They soon reached the London Bridge, where a figure in a bonnet waited for them. Chassy recognized the bright red dress and handed Oliver off to Nancy.

"Be careful," she whispered, Nancy simply nodded and lead Oliver up the steps. Chassy sighed in relief and turned to go, but had not taken a step when a hand was clamped over her mouth and she was pulled down behind a wall. She yelled, her cries muffled by the hand, and elbowed the figure hard in the stomach, and the man grunted and spun her around to face him. She stopped struggling at once when she saw the face of her kidnapper. She wrenched the hand from her mouth,

"_Dodger_?" she cried, incredulous, "What are you doing here?!"

"I could say the same to you," he grumbled, but he seemed worried, "What are you and Nancy playin' at? Sneakin' around like that.."

"I won't talk until you tell me why you were following me," she said firmly, crossing her arms to demonstrate her point. Dodger sighed and scratched his neck,

"Fagin told me to dodge Nancy. He said she had been actin' strange and Bill was worried she was up to somethin'. Which she obviously is. I just didn't expect _you_ to be involved."

"...We're..we're helpin' Oliver get back to Mr. Brownlow," she confessed. Dodger's eyes widened,

"Helpin' him _escape_?! 'Ave you gone mad?! You know he'd peach on us, and then it's the drop for Fagin!"

"He would never, _ever_ peach. I thought you knew that, Dodge. Besides, he isn't cut out for this kinda life, not like you and me."

Dodger just stared at her in disbelief,

"Chass," he breathed, "You're really stupid, do ya know that?" Chassy glared at him and stood up, brushing off her skirts.

"Thanks for the compliment," she said drily, walking away. Dodger stood up and jogged to catch up with her, matching her stride,

"You do know I 'ave to tell Fagin about this."

"You can't. If you do, I'll put mud in your bed," she threatened. He just shook his head and chuckled, climbing the wooden stairs leading to the hideout.

"No use threatenin' me," he said, opening the door to reveal Bill and Fagin at the wooden table, their heads bent together over a large bottle of gin. Chassy paled and walked briskly past them. Bill looked up and noticed Dodger.

"Ah, Dodge! You're back! We were startin' to worry.." he slurred, voice tinged with drink. Fagin nodded and waved him over,

"Tell us the news, boy! Whats Nancy been up to?"

Chassy leant against the keyhole, straining to hear.

"Well...I followed 'er, and she met some old gent at London Bridge..and Chass was there-"

"Chass? Ain't that the girl you brought in, Fagin?" asked Bill. Fagin nodded warily.

"Bring 'er out," he grumbled. Chassy heard his request and took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders, and strode out the door, leaning against the wall in front of Bill and Fagin.

"What do you want?" he said, struggling to keep her voice from shaking.

"What were you doin' with Nancy?"

"I wasn't doin' nothing."

"_Liar_," he sneered, standing up and making his way over to her, until they were face to face.

"I _told_ you, we weren't doin' anything!" she hissed, trying not to show her growing fear. Bill's face relaxed, and to her surprise, he smiled. He leaned closer until he was next to her ear,

"If you're not gonna tell the truth, I guess I'll just 'ave to _make_ you talk," he whispered, drawing back. Chassy stared at him, confused. Bill drew back his hand, slapping Chassy across the face. Dodger drew in a breath sharply, but Fagin remained passive. Chassy turned back to face him, her jaw set, fire blazing in her eyes.

"I ain't talkin'. Not now, not ever," she hissed, and spat at Bill's feet. Her anger was reflected in his eyes, mixing with drink. He raised another hand, smacking her, but the blows didn't stop. Hit after hit connected with her face, until she could fell the warm blood dripping down her face. She slid down the wall, trying to protect herself, but he didn't stop. His punches were know accompanied by kicks, on her chest, her stomach, and her face. All she could feel anything but pain, and her eyes were fixated on Dodger's face. He was rooted to the spot, and she thought she could see tears in his eyes. Why wasn't he helping her? Why wasn't Fagin helping her? She coughed, more blood spraying all over her dress. A song popped into her head, one she had heard the other barmaids singing-

"_Mother, oh mother, I took your daughter down by the water oaks  
To hear the loons cry, as I gazed in her eyes, asked her to be my betrothed  
She danced with excitement, her hands trembled in mine  
She was joyful when the sky rolled in with thunder  
When the clouds opened wide and started to pour  
She slipped from my grasp into black water  
Oh, black water's rising, black water's high_

_An officer came quick and drew pictures of the last place I saw her  
Mother, I loved her, I started to shiver when he asked me to recount her slaughter  
He showed me a blue sleeve dug from under the leaves  
A broken tooth, he could prove it was hers  
A vial of soil from the roots of the trees  
Soaked with the blood of my sweet Rosalie,"_

But she waouldn't end up like that girl in the song, she couldn't. She drew herself onto her hands and knees, trying to crawl away. She reached out for them both, red tears streaming down her face.

"_Your Rosalie Wild was untrue, unkind  
I only slapped her once on the cheek  
To raise her from her slumber, exorcise her demons  
She wouldn't stop her crying, she wouldn't stop her screaming  
And she called me a thief and a liar  
Oh, black water's rising, it's bringing up the body of Rosalie Wild_

_My deeds, I'll explain, no one can blame me  
I did the same any man would do  
I picked up a rock and I smashed her head thrice  
Kicked in her teeth with the heel of my boot  
I took her limp body, threw it to sea  
I never dreamed what could dredge up dear Rosalie  
I beg for your mercy, consider my love  
If the child had been mine, I would've made her my bride  
I could've shown Rosalie Wild how to love me._"

Bill took aim and kicked her hard in the side. A loud crack was heard, and she fell down with an animal-like scream.

"Stop it, stop it! You're gonna kill 'er!" screamed Dodger, finally waking up and running over to drag Bill away. The song echoed in Chassy's head as her world faded to black.

**A/N:** Omg! Dramatic...

16 reviews for the next chapter!


	6. Updates and Notifications

**A/N: **Hello everyone! . .Eyes here, just dishing out some updates for ya.

**#1**- I'm sorry Chapter 6 is taking so long, I've been very busy with school work and other miscellaneous things and haven't had much time to work on it.

**#2**- I will be away this weekend, so do not expect Chapter 6 to be posted soon. At the latest, it will be done by Wednesday.

**#3**- Check out my new story- Le Genre Peu Noble ((The Little Noble Sort)), a Les Miserables fanfic.

**#4**- In short, you're just going to have to wait and be patient.

* * *

**#5**- Sorry for making you wait so long, so here's a little snippet to tide you over-

Chastity stared up at the rotting wooden ceiling, stunned by the fact that every part of her body ached. She could only feel the throbbing pain in her arms, much less move them. She slowly glanced to the left, and was even more surprised to see Dodger asleep on a chair in the corner. What had happened? She opened her cracked and dry mouth to say something, but it hurt too much and she could make no sound. This simple action sent her into a fit of coughing, and Dodger awoke with a start. He saw her staring at him and breathed a sigh of relief,

"Well, at least we know now you ain't dead," he said pitifully. Chassy couldn't help but notice that his eyes were rimmed with red. "You've been out for days..." She stared at him helplessly, and tried opening her mouth again, but she could not speak. She closed her mouth and breathed out heavily through her nose. Dodger laughed slightly and stood up,

"I'm gonna tell the others you're awake, Charley's been goin' crazy. Do ya need anythin'?" _Water,_ she thought, but could not open her mouth to tell him. She sniffed and swallowed dramatically, hoping he would catch on. He nodded once and walked out of the room. Chassy turned her gaze to her arms at her side, and was taken aback by the garish bruises and cuts. She moved her finger slightly and a lightning bolt of pain shot up her arm. She winced and looked back up at the ceiling. What had caused these bruises? Did she fall down? Chassy thoguht hard, trying to remember. All at once, it came back to her. Bill hitting her for information. All that pain, and blood. And Dodger...saving her. A warm feeling bubbled in her stomach, and her cracked lips painfully forced themselves into a smile. At this moment the door swung back open and Dodger returned with a glass of water. Chassy took it hungrily and chugged the contents down her throat, the cold liquid instantly reviving her. She sighed in relief and smiled at Dodger gratefully. He smiled back, put he looked pained. She frowned and waved him over.

"What's...what's wr-wrong?" she whispered, her voice hollow. He shifted uncomfortably,

"it's jus'...I don't like seein' you like this, all bruised a-and..broken. If I had stepped in earlier-" She quieted him by placing a hand over his mouth.

"It doesn't matter...you saved me," she croaked. He stared at her. She smiled and leant forward, kissing him lightly on the cheek.

"Thank you," she breathed.


	7. Chapter 6- Nancy's Death

**A/N: **

**MinnieXplayer:** Well, I'm glad it's clearer for you now. The songs I'm using are sort of/kind of old, but even if they aren't from that time period they sure sound like it. The song Chastity sings in the bar is _When I'm Gone _by Lulu and the Lampshades and the song she recalls hearing during the beating is _Black Water_ by Ruth Gerson.

"_Let me be your everlasting light  
The sun when there is none  
I'm a shepherd for you  
And I'll guide you through  
Let me be your everlasting light._

_Let me be your everlasting light _

_I'll hold and never scold _

_In me you can confide _

_When no one's by your side  
Let me be your everlasting light _

_Oh baby, can't you see  
It's shinin' just for you  
Loneliness is over  
Dark days are through  
They're through _

_Let me be your everlasting light _

_A train goin' 'way from pain _

_Love is the coal  
That makes this train roll  
Let me be your everlasting light._"

Chastity stared up at the rotting wooden ceiling, stunned by the fact that every part of her body ached. She could only feel the throbbing pain in her arms, much less move them. She slowly glanced to the left, and was even more surprised to see Dodger asleep on a chair in the corner. What had happened? She opened her cracked and dry mouth to say something, but it hurt too much and she could make no sound. This simple action sent her into a fit of coughing, and Dodger awoke with a start. He saw her staring at him and breathed a sigh of relief,

"Well, at least we know now you ain't dead," he said pitifully. Chassy couldn't help but notice that his eyes were rimmed with red. "You've been out for days..." She stared at him helplessly, and tried opening her mouth again, but she could not speak. She closed her mouth and breathed out heavily through her nose. Dodger laughed slightly and stood up,

"I'm gonna tell the others you're awake, Charley's been goin' crazy. Do ya need anythin'?" _Water,_ she thought, but could not open her mouth to tell him. She sniffed and swallowed dramatically, hoping he would catch on. He nodded once and walked out of the room. Chassy turned her gaze to her arms at her side, and was taken aback by the garish bruises and cuts. She moved her finger slightly and a lightning bolt of pain shot up her arm. She winced and looked back up at the ceiling. What had caused these bruises? Did she fall down? Chassy thought hard, trying to remember. All at once, it came back to her. Bill hitting her for information. All that pain, and blood. And Dodger...saving her. A warm feeling bubbled in her stomach, and her cracked lips painfully forced themselves into a smile. At this moment the door swung back open and Dodger returned with a glass of water. Chassy took it hungrily and chugged the contents down her throat, the cold liquid instantly reviving her. She sighed in relief and smiled at Dodger gratefully. He smiled back, put he looked pained. She frowned and waved him over.

"What's...what's wr-wrong?" she whispered, her voice hollow. He shifted uncomfortably,

"It's jus'...I don't like seein' you like this, all bruised a-and..broken. If I had stepped in earlier-" She quieted him by placing a hand over his mouth.

"It doesn't matter...you saved me," she croaked. He stared at her. She smiled and leant forward, kissing him lightly on the cheek.

"Thank you," she breathed. He smiled weakly and nodded. He stood up to leave, but Chassy grabbed his arm.

"Don't leave..stay here. Please."

He smiled back and nodded, pulling the chair over to her side. She gripped his hand tightly and stared at some point in the distance, slowly drifting to sleep.

O0o0o0o0o0o

_-5 days later-_

o0o0o0o0o0o

Chassy sat on her bed, inspecting the many faint bruises on her arms. The cuts had long since healed, and her arms were dotted with white scars. The bruises had calmed down and had faded to an ugly, dull yellow. She sighed deeply and looked up at her reflection in a piece of glass on the wall. The bruises on her face are gone, and only a few scabs remained. She turned her head and traced a finger down the white scar running down the side of her face; Fagin had told her that was the only wound that would never properly heal. _It'll be a souvenir_, she thought, and chuckled softly to herself. Her loftiness about the beating surprised even herself, she had heard of women getting hit and then being scared of their own shadow for years to come. She had gotten over her fear whilst thinking about all the other people in the world who had been through more than her, and she had realized with a start how lucky she was; as ironic as it seemed. She sighed slightly and stood up, brushing off her dress. She half-heartedly combed her hair with her grubby fingers, leaving it down as afterthought. Her reflection stared back at her as she breathed out heavily, mentally prepping herself. She strode bravely over to the door and opened it slowly, listening to the silence on the other side. She was puzzled, usually the boys played poker after they got back from "working". She pushed the door open all the way and was put off guard by the six deathly pale faces staring back at her. She paused in the door frame, unsure if this was a good idea after all, but continued out, walking slowly over to the wooden table. She stopped, surveying the room. Monks sat next Fagin, calm and smiling, while the latter was staring out the window. She swiveled her eyes to the other boys, who were either staring down at the table or at her.

"What's wrong? You all look like you're gonna faint," she said, trying to be funny, but her voice quavered dangerously.

"Ah, Chassy, m'dear! You're lookin' well," said Monks, clasping his hands together cheerfully, "You've just arrived to hear the, uh, .._terrible_ news! You see, dear, Nancy 'as..died."

All the color rushed out of Chastity's face and her mouth dropped open. It seemed to her that the world had simply stopped turning. Nancy couldn't be dead, she had just seen her at the Three Cripples! Death just simply wasn't an option.

"Well, it's a great loss, of course," continued Monks, obviously bored, "But we must go on."

"Go _on_?! How _dare_ you talk about..her like that! You obviously don't give a rat's ass, you son of a _bitch!_" she was screaming now. She strode over and picked up a terrified Monks by the shirt collar, slamming him against the wall. She raised one finger threateningly,

"If you keep talkin' about her like that, I will personally _tear_ out your _eyes _and shove them down your throat so you can watch me _rip it open_!" she said in a deadly whisper.

"Chass..." came a hoarse whisper. Her hand still tightly clamped around Monks' neck, she whipped her head around. Her expression softened when she saw Dodger had spoken. He stared at her, his eyes dead and empty. She released Monks with a deep sigh, and Monks cursed and rubbed his neck,

"Oh, by the way, Bill's the one who done it. He accidentally killed 'imself runnin' from the traps, though," Monks added, as an afterthought.

Chassy looked at him disdainfully, her gaze unsympathetic,

"Serves 'im right. Now, why don't you leave?" she said, her voice dangerously high. Monks just shook his head and left without a word. Chassy turned his attention back to the boys. She struggled to keep the tears from coming.

"I-I..I'm gonna..go out," she said, her voice cracked. She grabbed a shawl and dashed out the door, the dam finally being broken as the hot tears streamed down her cheeks. She ran blindly around the slums, finally stopping in an alley. She leaned up against the wall, her breath coming in short, shaky gasps. She sniffed loudly and wiped her eyes, finally regaining control of her tear ducts. The crying had stopped, now replaced with and angry ache in her heart. She stayed that way for a while, just leaning up against the wall. After about twenty minutes or so, she finally moved away from the alleyway, shawl wrapped tightly around her shoulders. She made her way back to the hideout, eyes glued to the floor. She walked past the boys, who were still sitting at the table, and walked back into her sickroom, slamming the door behind her. She threw herself violently down on the bed, staring once again at her fuming reflection. She dug her fingernails into her palms, oblivious to the blood welling up from the wounds. She didn't notice Dodger watching her until he sat down beside her. She kept her eyes downcast, for she knew if she looked him in the eye she would start crying again. She was barely aware of his arm around her shoulder, or his words in her ear,

"Stop, Chass. You're hurtin' yourself," he said, gently removing her fingernails from her hand. She stared down at the blood, mildly surprised; she hadn't felt any pain.

"We'll be fine. You'll see," he gulped. Chastity sniffed and slowly turned her head to face him. She saw her own pain and grief reflected in his hollow eyes.

"Chass...I've been thinkin', while you were..out, about...what I would do if you 'ad.." he gulped, "-died. And now that Nancy's..gone, I realized that's what would've 'appened to you if I hadn't been there. A-and..I realized.. that I don't ever, _ever_ want you to go away," he finished in a hoarse whisper, leaning closer to her.

"What are you..." whispered Chassy, but he silenced her with a kiss. He pulled away slowly,

"Please..I need you."

**A/N: **D'awww!


	8. Chapter 7- The Gang Is Smoked Out

-Chapter 7-

_In Which The Gang Splits_

Chastity returned his desperate gaze, searching his face for any traces of doubts. Her mouth remained open in shock. This was the moment she had dreamed of, when she was younger. What she had waited for. If this was what she had always wanted, then...why was she afraid? She gulped and opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by Roger, who threw open the door,

"Dodge, Chass, the traps are 'ere! Get yer stuff an-" he stopped, finally noticing their heads were very close together. "Wha..What are you doin'?"

Chassy jumped up and brushed off her skirts,

"Nothing, nothing! Come on, we gotta hurry!" she cried, pushing her way out the door. She hurriedly grabbed her few belongings and shoved them into a bag, amongst the other boys. Dodger finally returned from the room and did the same. Chassy winced as she heard shouts from outside,and banging on the door. She stood up and threw the bag over her shoulder, looking desperately around for Dodger or Charley, but it was hard to tell who was who through the mass of running boys. They took off in all directions, jumping out windows, and so forth. Chassy felt a hand on her arm and she whipped around, half-expecting it to be a policemen. She let out a shaky breath when she saw it was only Charley, he seemed as afraid as she was.

"We get Dodger, and we run far, far away from 'ere and never come back," she said, her voice surprisingly even. He simply nodded and she searched the all the commotion, and finally caught a glimpse of a top hat. She gasped slightly and rushed over, pulling Dodger to his feet and back to where Charley stood, and the three looked frantically around the room for an exit, as the door certainly wasn't an option. At that very moment, a loud _crash_ was heard, and footsteps ran up the staircase. Chassy's heart sunk, the policemen had banged down the door. In a start, she remembered an escape route she had found.

"Follow me!" she cried, leading them to her "sick room", and she pried open the window, revealing a small landing underneath it. She turned to the two,

"There's another buildin' just across from the landin'. You just gotta jump, and 'ope we make it," she said, deathly pale. The two boys just stood and stared at her, and she gulped,

"Guess I'm goin' first, then," she said gravely, and carefully lowered herself onto the thin piece of wood, which creaked dangerously. She took a deep breath and leaped, crash-landing onto the parallel building. She turned just in time to see Charley land next to her, just as gracefully as the former(or, lack thereof). Dodger jumped next, but he misjudged the distance and landed with a _thump_ much further than them. Chassy stumbled to her feet and grabbed his hand, pulling him to his own feet. He thanked her with his eyes, and she nodded once before tearing away, practically jumping down the stairs and into the street. Charley and Dodger followed her, bumping into her in their haste. She paused in the doorway, looking each way to make sure it was clear. A member of the mob saw her and pointed, shouting to the others. Chassy swore loudly and took off, away from the man. She ran to the marketplace, Charley and Dodger hot on her heels. She quickly looked around and dashed off in a random direction, dodging through alleyways and even buildings, hoping to lose the angry mob right behind them. In a flash she remembered the same situation when she was only eleven, of being chased and ducking into the Three Cripples. She smiled in spite of herself at the irony of it all, but snapped out of her trance when a bullet whizzed past her ear. They were _shooting _at them? She winced as another bang shot out, but thankfully she never heard it find a mark. She searched frantically for a way out, but these thoughts were pushed aside as she heard another gunshot sounded, accompanied by a loud cry of pain. Her heart jumped into her throat and she stopped, turning around. She gasped as she saw Charley slumped on the ground, clutching his arm tightly. She cursed the shooter under her breath and ran over to him, heaving him up and draping his good arm over his shoulder.

"You gotta keep runnin', we're almost there. You're gonna make it, don't worry," she said frantically, more to herself than to him. He merely groaned in pain and they continued on, and Chastity ducked into an abandoned and rotting house in a final attempt at escape. Dodger followed soon after, and they pressed themselves up against a wall and out of view. To their extreme relief, the policemen continued running in the opposite direction. Chassy let out a shaky breath and walked slowly to the front of the abandoned shack and shut the door quickly. She returned to Charley (who had gone deathly pale) and sat him down, taking a breath quickly as she finally saw the wound. She winced and looked at his face, which was contorted with pain. She fumbled around a little and finally tore a scrap of cloth from her dress.

"It's gonna hurt, so...just bite down on this," she said, her expression grave, handing him the scrap of clothing. He grimaced and took it, placing it into his mouth. Chassy took a deep breath and gingerly inspected the wound for a bullet, which she found. She carefully eased the bullet out, and still Charley bit down as hard as he could on the cloth, and tears formed in the corners of her eyes. Chassy threw he bullet into a corner and Charley hastily wiped his eyes and exhaled. She wrapped the garish hole with another strip of fabric and leaned back onto her heels, her breath shaky. The trio sat in painful silence as the day wore on, and finally retired to bed as the sun slowly set.


End file.
